Frugal Family: Deals to Save Your Family Money

We're all watching our family budgets these days. Whether shopping with coupons or looking for two-for-one deals, we're taking advantage of all sorts of offers and savings that help us stretch our dollars.

This column is dedicated to giving you five great local deals each week that will help your family’s bottom line, and since we do the scouting for you, you can save time as well as money.

You are a big part of this column. Let us hear about the deals you've seen. Just add them to our comment box. Then, come back each week and see what we've uncovered together.

• Coupon Suzy is the hot new online coupon site as seen on TV (www.couponSuzy.com). A friend of mine signed up and said the selection was good so I jumped online to try it out as well. The coupon selection is fairly good and the variety is much better than a lot of other sites. Try them out!

• Is your local store of choice? Even the part-time shopper should be aware of the regular specials they have. If you don’t subscribe to the local newspaper, checking them out online is a great way to see the club sale prices and specials (while saving paper). You can also use their “Just for U” option to sign up for special personalized deals. You even get a free dozen eggs when registering.

• Hmmm, one thing I love as a shopper is a chance to try things for FREE! This Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Whole Foods in Santa Rosa you can get free samples from local producers of a variety of products such as butter, yogurt, chocolate, cheeses and more! Trying before you buy is a great way to avoid wasting even a few dollars on a product that doesn’t taste the way you hoped it would.

• Spring Break is only a few weeks away — March 21-25 in Rohnert Park and Cotati. Do you have a fun vacation planned with the kids yet? If not you might want to check out a trip to SoCal to visit Disneyland. The weather is a bit more mild as well as the crowds in March. Visit www.CityPass.com to learn about a great deal that saves 29 percent off 3 days at Disneyland Resort plus admission to Universal Studios, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. City Pass is also a program for other large cities and a great way to save a bit on trips.

• Kids Eat Free at IHOP! Apparently in a little known secret (unless you go to IHOP a lot) they currently have a promotion where kids eat free everyday from 4-10 p.m. You still have to buy a regular entrée and drinks aren’t included, but it is still a pretty good deal. The kid's menu is fairly decent with quite a few items listed as Simple & Fit and under 600 calories.

Money Tip of the Week – 66 percent of all grocery purchases are impulse purchases according to a recent study from a few large chain stores. Make a shopping list to help save time and money each time you venture out. If you feel the need to impulse buy set a limit like you would for one of the kids and allow them only 1 extra thing.